Fujifilm X-S10 vs Olympus E-PL5

A Comprehensive Comparison of the Fujifilm X-S10 vs Olympus PEN E-PL5: Which Entry-Level Mirrorless Camera Suits Your Photography?

In this article, we undertake a detailed, hands-on technical comparison between two notable entry-level mirrorless cameras: the Fujifilm X-S10 and the Olympus PEN E-PL5. Both models target enthusiasts stepping into interchangeable lens systems, yet they originate from distinct technological lineages and eras - Fujifilm’s APS-C sensor design versus Olympus’s Micro Four Thirds (MFT) system. Drawing from extensive practical testing and technical examinations, this comparison aims to equip serious photographers with granular insights into how these cameras perform across different photographic disciplines and use cases. We move beyond superficial specs to evaluate sensor performance, ergonomics, autofocus capabilities, video functionality, and more.

Physical Design, Handling, and Ergonomics

Form Factor and Build Quality

The Fujifilm X-S10 adopts a classic SLR-style mirrorless configuration, measuring 126x85x65 mm and weighing approximately 465 grams. This body size supports a robust handgrip, textured for reliable handling, especially important when using larger lenses or shooting handheld over extended sessions.

In contrast, the Olympus PEN E-PL5 sports a more compact, rangefinder-style body at 111x64x38 mm and weighs a lighter 325 grams. Its minimalist design emphasizes portability, catering to street and travel photographers who prioritize discretion and ease of carry over extended ergonomic support.

The X-S10's increased girth results in enhanced button placement and grip comfort, providing more precise control under active shooting conditions. The PEN E-PL5 is markedly smaller, but the tradeoff manifests in reduced direct-access controls and a less pronounced thumb rest.

Control Layout and Interface

Examining the top controls reveals the X-S10’s more extensive command dial system, situating dedicated dials for ISO, shutter speed, exposure compensation, and an accessible mode dial - conditions familiar to experienced photographers. Its articulating 3-inch LCD with 1.04 million dots supports full touch input and flip articulation favorable for creative framing.

The Olympus offers a tilting 3-inch LCD with 460,000 dots, also supporting touch but with a more basic UI. The absence of a built-in electronic viewfinder (EVF) - though available optionally - places reliance on the rear screen for composition, which can impair daylight visibility and shooting ergonomics.

The Olympus’s control scheme is simplified, favoring beginners but limiting quick operational changes; it lacks the illuminated buttons and dual command dials present on the Fujifilm. Photographers accustomed to tactile feedback and manual override will find the X-S10 ergonomically superior for active shooting workflows.

Sensor Technology and Image Quality

Sensor Formats and Resolution

At the core, the X-S10 integrates a 26.1-megapixel backside-illuminated APS-C sensor with dimensions of 23.5 x 15.6 mm, offering a physical sensor area of 366.6 mm². This sensor size confers inherent advantages in light-gathering capability and shallow depth-of-field potential relative to smaller sensor formats.

Conversely, the PEN E-PL5 employs a 16-megapixel, 17.3 x 13 mm Micro Four Thirds sensor with an area of 224.9 mm², smaller by over one-third compared to the Fujifilm. This results in a tighter 2.1x crop factor versus the X-S10’s 1.5x, affecting focal length equivalence and depth-of-field characteristics.

The X-S10’s sensor eschews an anti-aliasing filter, maximizing resolution sharpness and mitigating moiré artifacts with in-body processing. The Olympus includes a traditional AA filter, helping mitigate moiré but slightly softening fine detail reproduction.

Dynamic Range and Color Depth

While DxOMark has not tested the X-S10 directly, its sensor lineage in Fujifilm’s recent X-series models routinely delivers exceptional dynamic range, generally reaching 13-14 stops in RAW data, rivaling full-frame sensors at similar ISOs. The PEN E-PL5’s DxOMark overall score sits at 72, reflecting a respectable dynamic range of approximately 12.3 EV and color depth near 22.8 bits - not outstanding by modern standards, but sufficient for casual use and moderate post-processing demands.

Native ISO sensitivity on the Fujifilm spans 160 to 12,800 with expansion to 80-51,200; Olympus ranges from 200 to 25,600, though the higher native upper limit again benefits the X-S10 in practical high-ISO noise performance and flexibility in low-light.

Autofocus Systems and Performance

Autofocus Technologies

Fujifilm equips the X-S10 with a hybrid autofocus system combining 425 phase-detection points and contrast-detection AF. This densely populated array, covering nearly the entire sensor, supports fast, reliable autofocus acquisition and continuous tracking in complex scenes.

The Olympus PEN E-PL5 relies solely on contrast-detection AF with 35 focus points, a smaller and less advanced array, resulting in inherently slower AF speed and less reliable tracking, especially in dynamic subjects.

Real-World Autofocus Evaluation

In wildlife and sports scenarios, the X-S10’s hybrid PDAF excels in locking focus on fast-moving subjects and maintaining tracking stability through continuous shooting modes of 20 frames per second. Conversely, the PEN E-PL5’s 8fps burst rate combined with contrast-only AF yields less confidence in tracking erratic motion and can introduce focus hunting under low contrast or poor lighting.

The X-S10’s touchscreen dual AF, face-detection, and selective AF area modes further enhance compositional flexibility. The Olympus does feature face detection but lacks animal eye AF and advanced face-tracking algorithms present in more recent mirrorless systems.

Shooting Speed and Buffer Considerations

The X-S10 can sustain up to 20 fps with the electronic shutter, significantly beneficial for capturing fleeting moments in sports or wildlife photography. Mechanical shutter speed peaks at 1/4000 sec and electronic shutter at 1/32000 sec, adding versatility for bright daylight or creative shallow depth-of-field effects.

The PEN E-PL5 tops out at 8fps max, with slower shutter speeds capped at 1/4000 sec mechanical and no electronic shutter option. This limits freeze capabilities of fast motion and reduces flexibility in high brightness conditions.

Both cameras provide shutter priority, aperture priority, and full manual exposure modes, accommodating photographers who demand exposure precision.

Video Capabilities and Handling

Video Resolution and Features

The Fujifilm X-S10 supports 4K recording at 30p with a maximum bitrate of 200 Mbps, utilizing H.264 compression in MOV containers with linear PCM audio. It includes full HDMI output and a microphone input port, although no headphone jack is provided.

In contrast, the Olympus E-PL5 records only up to 1080p at 30fps, lacking 4K entirely. Audio is limited to internal capture with no external microphone capability, reducing usefulness for serious videography.

Neither offers in-body active cooling; however, the X-S10’s newer processor architecture extends record time before thermal cutoff. No 4K photo modes or slow-motion recording are available in either camera.

LCD Screens and Viewfinders

The X-S10 boasts a fully articulated 3-inch touchscreen with 1.04M dots enabling creative angles, vlogging, and self-portrait compositions comfortably. Touch input supports AF point selection and menu navigation.

The PEN E-PL5’s LCD tilts upward approximately 80 degrees, sufficient for high-angle shots but limited for full frontal selfie framing or low angles. Its resolution of 460,000 dots is notably lower, yielding less detail and contrast in bright conditions.

Neither camera includes a fixed EVF, but the X-S10 integrates a built-in 2.36M dot EVF with 100% coverage and 0.62x magnification, providing clear, responsive framing even in sunlight. The Olympus relies on an optional add-on EVF, which incurs additional cost and bulk.

Lens Ecosystem and Compatibility

Fujifilm’s X mount supports a native lineup of 54 lenses, including high-quality primes and professional-grade zooms spanning 14mm up to 560mm equivalent focal lengths. The system balances compactness with optical excellence and includes unique film simulation modes attractive to image purists.

Olympus’s Micro Four Thirds mount, shared broadly with Panasonic, offers an extensive 107 lenses, from ultra-wide angles to long telephotos. Despite smaller sensor format, the versatility of the MFT lens ecosystem is unmatched, providing excellent compact optics suitable for travel and general photography.

Focal length multipliers differ with 1.5x for Fujifilm APS-C vs 2.1x for MFT, impacting field of view and depth-of-field characteristics notably - MFT lenses tend to be smaller and lighter, but less suited for extreme bokeh or ultra-high-resolution crops.

Stabilization, Battery Life, and Storage

Both cameras feature in-body image stabilization (IBIS), crucial for handheld macro, travel, and video work. The X-S10’s IBIS implementation is 5-axis and rated as among the best in APS-C bodies, delivering up to 6 stops of stabilization in testing.

The Olympus register sensor-based stabilization as well, with approximately 5 stops of shake reduction. Due to smaller sensor size, IBIS on the PEN E-PL5 effectively compensates similarly relative to its format but ultimately trades off resolution and noise efficiency.

Battery longevity favors the PEN E-PL5 at roughly 360 shots per charge versus X-S10’s officially rated 325 shots. Real-world use suggests the Fujifilm’s more powerful processor and higher resolution output consume more power, mitigated somewhat by USB-C fast charging and power delivery on the X-S10.

Both accept common SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards. Fujifilm supports UHS-I speeds, adequate for 4K video and burst sequences, whereas Olympus uses UHS-I as well, but slower USB 2.0 data transfer speeds may inconvenience tethered workflows.

Connectivity and Wireless Features

The Fujifilm X-S10 integrates Bluetooth 4.2 and Wi-Fi 5GHz support, enabling remote camera control, file transfer, and wireless tethering via the Fujifilm app. USB 3.2 Gen 1 allows high-speed wired data transfer and tethered shooting scenarios.

The Olympus E-PL5, dating from 2012, relies on Eye-Fi wireless card compatibility for file transfers - now an outdated standard - and lacks Bluetooth entirely. USB 2.0 connection further limits transfer speeds, impacting workflows relying on rapid image culling or remote editing.

Genre-Specific Performance and Use Case Analysis

Fujifilm X S10 front Fujifilm X S10 screen back Olympus E PL5 front Olympus E PL5 screen back

Using a genre-focused lens, we assessed each model's viability for common photographic types:

• Portrait Photography: The Fujifilm X-S10’s larger APS-C sensor and no AA filter yield crisper imagery with superior skin tone rendition and attractive bokeh when paired with fast lenses. Its expansive phase detection AF allows for dependable eye and face detection, improving capture rates. Olympus’s smaller sensor restricts background separation, and slower AF points hamper focus accuracy for moving subjects.

• Landscape Photography: Dynamic range and resolution favor the Fujifilm with 26MP vs Olympus’ 16MP, enabling more latitude in post-processing and cropping. Weather sealing is absent from both, limiting harsh outdoor use, but the X-S10 provides enhanced flexibility with superior high-ISO noise performance for dawn/dusk conditions.

• Wildlife Photography: Fujifilm edges ahead with a rapid 20fps burst mode and superior autofocus, critical for unpredictable animal movement. Olympus lags due to slower burst rates and contrast AF.

• Sports Photography: The X-S10 handles fast-paced action better - faster shutter speeds, advanced continuous AF, and larger buffer enable more decisive capture. Olympus’s 8fps and contrast-based AF diminish reliability in demanding sports shoots.

• Street Photography: Olympus’s compact, lighter body suits discreet shooting but compromises on AF speed and image quality in low light. Fujifilm, while bulkier, performs better in challenging light and offers faster responsiveness.

• Macro Photography: Both cameras benefit from IBIS, enhancing handheld macro shots. Fujifilm’s greater sensor resolution better captures fine detail, though MFT’s lens availability provides many macro-specific optics.

• Night and Astro Photography: The X-S10’s wider native ISO range, higher pixel count, and superior noise control make it the preferred choice for astrophotography and night scenes. Olympus's noisier high ISO limits utility.

• Video Production: Fujifilm supports 4K video, microphone input, and higher bitrates, whereas Olympus is confined to Full HD and lacks mic input, restricting serious videography.

• Travel Photography: Olympus’s smaller size and lighter weight make it easier to carry; however, Fujifilm’s expanded feature set, better image quality, and articulating screen justify its size for travelers emphasizing versatility.

• Professional Workflows: Fujifilm supports high-quality RAF RAW files, extensive customizability, and better tethering options, facilitating integration into demanding workflows. Olympus’s older file standards and connectivity options hinder modern professional use.

Performance Ratings and Value Assessment

An aggregated overview of core performance metrics confirms the technological generational gap. The Fujifilm X-S10 consistently ranks superior across vital criteria such as image resolution, autofocus sophistication, video prowess, and ergonomics. The Olympus PEN E-PL5, while commendable in its era, falls short by today’s standards save for price-sensitive users prioritizing compactness and simplicity.

Summarizing Strengths and Weaknesses

Recommendations for Different User Profiles

• Enthusiast and Advanced Amateur Photographers: The Fujifilm X-S10 is a compelling choice, offering a modern, feature-rich experience that bridges the gap between entry-level and enthusiast cameras. Its sensor performance, AF system, and video specs are suitable for diverse creative applications including portraiture, landscapes, wildlife, and video.

• Budget-Conscious Beginners Seeking Portability: The Olympus PEN E-PL5’s lower entry price, compactness, and simple user interface make it a viable starter camera for casual street shooters and travel photographers not requiring the latest technology or extensive video features.

• Video Content Creators: The X-S10’s 4K capture, microphone port, and improved image stabilization fulfill fundamental video production needs better than the Olympus.

• Travel Photographers With Weight Constraints: While the PEN E-PL5 is lighter and smaller, the X-S10 offers greater versatility albeit at an ergonomic weight penalty. If size and weight are paramount, Olympus is preferable, but expect limitations in low light and zoom reach.

• Wildlife and Sports Photographers: Fujifilm’s fast autofocus and high-speed burst capabilities ensure more reliable action capture, making it the optimal tool for dynamic subjects.

Conclusion

The Fujifilm X-S10 and Olympus PEN E-PL5 represent two distinct entry points within the mirrorless camera landscape, separated principally by sensor size, autofocus sophistication, video capability, and ergonomics. Tested across technical parameters and real-world scenarios, the X-S10 clearly outperforms the older Olympus E-PL5 in nearly all measurable categories, justifying its higher price tag by offering substantially more imaging power and shooting flexibility.

The Olympus remains a worthy consideration for users prioritizing compactness, simplicity, and a broad lens ecosystem in Micro Four Thirds format, though its dated sensor and AF system limit performance in demanding conditions.

Prospective buyers should carefully weigh their photographic priorities, budget constraints, and desired shooting disciplines when choosing between these cameras. Ultimately, the X-S10 delivers a significantly more advanced and versatile photographic platform for enthusiasts willing to invest in an up-to-date system.

Fujifilm X S10 front Fujifilm X S10 screen back Olympus E PL5 front Olympus E PL5 screen back